ABSTRACT
Objectives To quantify the associations between shielding status and loneliness at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and physical activity (PA) levels throughout the pandemic. Methods Demographic, health and lifestyle characteristics of 7748 cognitively healthy adults aged >50, and living in London, were surveyed from April 2020 to March 2021. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) short-form assessed PA before COVID-19 restrictions, and up to 6 times over 11 months. Linear mixed models investigated associations between baseline shielding status, loneliness, and time-varying PA. Results Participants who felt "often lonely" at the outset of the pandemic completed an average of 522 and 547 fewer Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) minutes/week (95% CI: -809, -236, p<0.001) (95% CI: -818, -275, p<0.001) than those who felt "never lonely" in univariable and multivariable models adjusted for demographic factors respectively. Those who felt "sometimes lonely" completed 112 fewer MET minutes/week (95% CI: -219, -5, p=0.041) than those who felt "never lonely" following adjustment for demographic factors. Participants who were shielding at the outset of the pandemic completed an average of 352 fewer MET minutes/week than those who were not (95% CI: -432, -273; p<0.001) in univariable models and 228 fewer MET minutes/week (95% CI: -307, -150, p<0.001) following adjustment for demographic factors. No significant associations were found after further adjustment for health and lifestyle factors. Conclusions Those shielding or lonely at pandemic onset were likely to have completed low levels of PA during the pandemic. These associations are influenced by co-morbidities and health status.